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Khamele
The khamele are a race of Angels occasionally seen in the world of Circunima. Overview The khamele are a mysterious, seafaring race that is occasionally seen inland, often when they are most needed by the forces of good. They live in great, sea-cave cities near the shores of great kingdoms, and survive by fishing and trading goods with other races. Khamele work with crystal as men work with steel, and their language is a form of telepathic empathy poorly understood by other races, who cannot understand it. Physiology The average khamele male is 5'7" with a lithe build. Females are only marginally shorter, averaging 5'5", and have the same build. Khamele have pale, fish-like skin with scales so fine that it gives them the appearance of a shimmer to their flesh in sunlight. Their lips are dark, and they appear to have "laugh lines" on their faces. Khamele eye color is typically some shade of blue or green, and their feathery hair comes in eight different gem-colored shades which, according to khamele sages, represents that individual's "soul cycle" (see Spiritual Beliefs, below). Anatomically, khamele resemble a cross between mammals, avians, and fish. Their bones, while amazingly resilient, are hollow as a bird's might be (a khamele can fall two stories and take approximately the same damage that a human being would take after only one story), and their legs are more powerful than a human's, being built for swimming. Khamele are amphibious. It is important to note that, while a khamele can survive indefinitely on land, the longer they go without water, the more their health will begin to deteriorate. Even the most resilient khamele will suffer symptoms akin to sunlight deprevation after being away from open water for long periods of time, which sometimes gives the mistaken impression of them being grumpy with other races. One of the two most mysterious aspects of khamele physiology is the races innate precognitive reflex, which is believed at this time to be an evolutionary adaptation to the constant danger these crusading warriors face in the pursuit of their lofty goals. It may also be that they are in touch with a higher power capable of warning them of danger in time to avoid it, leading to further speculation on the second mysterious quality. This second quality is the unusual relationship between a khamele's body and the positive energy that flows through the universe. Their ability to channel this energy with training to such an innate degree that it actually improves their strength, speed, and response time raises important questions about the nature of the universe and the existence of energies yet to be explained by science. Psychology Khamele psychology is one part an instinct directly resulting from the nature and purpose of their creation and one part social reinforcement. All khamele know, from the time they are old enough to grasp the concept of good and evil, that they are destined to stand on the side of good, and indeed society expects that a khamele warrior will stand for the same virtues as the Khamele Sentinels of old. This has lead to a sort of identity crisis for many young khamele in the present day, who either strain to live up to the legendary deeds of their ancestors or go out of their way to forge their own path separate from those legends. However, because they are bound by instinct as well as tradition to a heroic destiny, even khamele that choose to forgo the paladin path of old still find creative ways to do good. A khamele thief is sure to give at least part of their loot to the poor, while a khamele prizefighter is marked by a code of honor that they will religiously follow, for example. Khamele, though bound by tradition, are not conservative by nature. Indeed, their society espouses the virtue of liberty, and respects the right of all cultures to their unique beliefs, with the exception of those who intentionally do harm to others. This cosmopolitan attitude makes khamele very popular as traders with other races, although even the most tolerant khamele occasionally finds himself disgusted or disturbed by the evils of the world. Cultural Structure Homelands Khamele cities are something of a departure from those of most humanoids, with the exception of elves. Scattered beneath the waves bordering most major cities, khamle Chal-Runes, or "Ancient Homes" are made amidst the various plateaus in the sea cavers therein. Connected by naught but the waves that carry a traveler from home to home, the various crystalline structures are remarkably difficult for an air-breather to reach, although such dwellings are in fact enchanted so as to be breathable from the inside, making them essentially crystal-coated pockets of air. There is no rigid structure for khamele as a whole, and so their settlements may appear anywhere. The tendency of Chal-Runes to be placed near the shores of coastal cities is more a matter of convenience than tradition as it enables a khamele village to easily trade with other races. Government Like their homelands, khamele observe no strict form of government. Discipline is typically handled within individual families, placing an enormous amount of responsibility on khamele parents who must dutifully educate their own children. Khamele culture places its top priority on the virtues of liberty, teamwork, and upholding the greater good. To that end, all khamele aspire to pass on their knowledge, experience, and moral conviction to the next generation, and entire villages will work together flawlessly in defense of their ideals. An important rite of passage for all khamele youth is the spiritual journey of Kael-Soream. At this time, which usually occurs as an adolescent khamele matures into adulthood must technically must be at whatever time the khamele in question feels an "incessant wanderlust", the youth is sent out into the world to travel among other races, learn the ways of the world, and ultimately come to their own conclusions on the nature of good, evil, and the balance between. The intended purpose of the quest is to both strengthen a would-be Sentinel's faith in the power of good and to enable them with the skills they will need to stand in defense of others. It should be noted that not every khamele feels the calling of Kael-Soream. Indeed, only 10% of the population ends up heeding the call, most of them from the Cureal, Pyrek, and Raustien soul cycles. Sentinels observe a much stricter code of conduct, being most typically disciples of Kael-Dor, and are divided into three classes; Warriors, which act in the direct defense of good against evil, Scouts, which gather information on new threats to the forces of good and lead Warriors safely through dangerous lands, and Sages, which commune directly with the gods to give Warriors and Scouts advice. Spiritual Beliefs The khamele creation myth teaches that the gods created eight Khamele Sentinels of legend to protect the world from the increasingly potent forces of darkness that threatened to overrun it. These sentinels, whose skills and valor exceeded mortal limits, invariably steered away many threats, giving rise to countless legends, during the course of their lifetimes. When it finally came time for them to pass away, the sentinels decided that they could do more good with many lives than just the eight they had known, and so requested that upon their deaths their souls be divided into many fragments that would survive them as a race of angels. This request was granted in light of their many heroic deeds, and so were born the khamele of today. As khamele believe their souls to be fractions of the legendary eight Khamele Sentinels, they take both an individual name and a cycle name. The "soul cycle" that a khamele belongs to is determined by his or her hair color at birth as follows; Aundari Cycle: The Aundari have pearl-shaded hair. Aundari Sentinels are most often sages and the cycle is known to have a proficiency with channeling holy energy even beyond that of other khamele. Cureal Cycle: The Cureal have sapphire-shaded hair. Cureal Sentinels are most often warriors and the cycle has an innate connection to the sea. Eulunae Cycle: The Eulunae have silver-shaded hair. Eulunae Sentinels are most often sages and the cycle has an innate connection to the power of magic. Nulali Cycle: The Nulali have amythest-shaded hair. Nulali Sentinels are most often scouts and the cycle has an innate connection to the sky. Nundabar Cycle: The Nundabar have onyx-shaded hair. Nundabar Sentinels are most often scouts and the cycle has an innate connection to the power of shadows. Pyrek Cycle: The Pyrek have ruby-shaded hair. Pyrek Sentinels are most often warriors and the cycle has an innate connection to the power of fire. Raustien Cycle: The Raustien have gold-shaded hair. Ruastien Sentinels are most often warriors and the cycle has an innate connection to the power of lightning. Venigo Cycle: The Venigo have emerald-shaded hair. Venigo Sentinels are most often scouts and the cycle has an innate connection to the earth. Category:Races